Change-speed device for automotive vehicles



Feb. 14, 1928. R. A. BARTHOLOMEW CHANGE SPEED DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21. 1921 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: V 57, mm

ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1928. 1,659,232

R. A. BARTHOLOMEW camera SPEED DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21. 1921 .4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Y5 Feb. 14, 1928.

R. A. BARTHOLOMEW CHANGE SPEED DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR 7 wlawwmw- WITNE'QSE ATTORNEYS Feb '14 1928. 1,659,232

R. A. BARTHOLOMEW CHANGE SPEED DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21. 19,21 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1mm muumm IN VEN TOR Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMDND A. BARTHOLOMEW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

crrnnen-srnnn DEVICE r03 AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES.

Application filed November 21, 1921. Serial No. 516,617.

This invention relates to a selective gear tion is the provision of a simple, compact and effective mechanism of tlns character which may be readily applied to the gear boxes of cars now in existance, with. mini 11111.11 change in such gear boxes. The importai'ice of this object will be understood w it is considered what little space, in 1 cars, is available for this purpose. Another object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of the character described in which the number of parts is reduced to a minimum and the mechanism otherwise simplified in order to obtain maximum fliciency with minimum cost.

fltill another object of the invention is the provision of such an arrangement and con: struc ion of parts as will reduce wear to a iuinin'ium, thus increasi the life of the mechanism.

My 'ivention further contemplates a. de-

vice of the character described in which the parts are auton'iatically held in the selected ions, thereby preventing accidental shifting of the gears and the meshing of two sets of gears.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are ineident to my invention, I obtain by means of a ccnlmction. which I have illustrated in .pre ferrcd form in the accompanying drawings wherein 1 is a plan View illustrating the apg'ilication of my improven'ients with the gear box of a Dodge car; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in which the gear box is shown in section and my improvements in side elevation; Fig. 8 is enlarged plan view of my improvements. the top or cover being removed to expose the working parts, and certainof such parts being broken away for purposes of ilhistration; Fig. l is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but shows the parts in another position, Fig. 5 is av cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and? are sectional views taken on the lines 6-6 and 7 -7 of Fig. 3; Figs. 8 and 9 are a plan and side elevation, respectively, of a detail of my improvements; and Fig. 10 is a sectional View of another detail.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the gear box comprises the usual case A. in which the transmission shaft 7 and the counter shaft 8 are mounted, the shaft 7 being in alignment with the engine shaft 9. In the position shown inFig. 2 the gears are in neutral but when the gear 10 is shift ed so as to mesh with gear 11, the'box is in low gear or first speed; when gear 10 is brought into mesh with the gear (not shown) behind gear 12, the parts are in reverse; when gear 13 is in mesh with gear 14-, the parts are in second; and when gear 15 is shifted out of mesh with gear 16 and into mesh with the member 17 the parts are in direct or high speed. As is customary,

there are two shift devices or members come prising longitudinally movable bars 18 and 18 (see Figs. 2 and 3), shift bar 18 having two forks 19 and 20, the former being adapted to shift gear 15 and the latter to shift gear 13. The shift bar 18 has one fork 21 for shifting the gear 10. The socket 22 in which the ball hand shift lever is ordinarily mounted is indicated at the right-hand end of Fig. 2, the lever, however, being removed. With the exception of the removal of the lever, the parts are not disturbed so that the lever may be replaced in case the selective operating means should become inoperative.

The usual clutch pedal is indicated in dotted lines at 23 in Fig. 2.

My improvements, indicated as a Whole bythe reference letter. B, in Fig. 2, are substituted for the cover plate which is ordinarily bolted over the lateral opening in the boss-like portion 24 of the case A, adjacent the shift bars 18 and 18', and the only other parts added to the gear box'itself are the two fork-like collars 25 and 26, the former being secured tothe shift bar 18 and the latter to the shift bar 18. My selective mecha nism is enclosed in the thin, fiat casing or housing 0, and operates the shift bars 18, 18

through the lateral gear case opening at 24. Referring nowto Flgs. 3 to 10, 1nelus1ve,

the detail construction and operation of the selective or permutation operating means will be described. For shifting the shift bar 18 I provide what I term a flounder-shape lever 27, a similar lever 28 being provided for shifting the bar 18. The inner ends of these levers fit into the fork portions of the collars 25 and 26 respectively. The levers are pivotally mounted or fulcrumed intermediate their ends in the shallow or flat boxlike housing Chest seen in Figs. 3, a and 5. It will be seen that when the lever 27 is rocked so that its inner end swings forwardly, the shaft bar 18 will be moved forwardly from the neutral position indicated in Fig. 3 and gear 13 will be brought into mesh with gear 14, i. e., the parts will be brought into second speed. When the lever 27 is rocked in the opposite direction, i. e., toward the rear, gear 15 will directly couple with the gear 17 so as to directly connect the engine shaft 9 with the transmission shaft 7 for high speed. Similarly, rearward movement of the lever :28 brings gears 10 and 11 into mesh for low speed whilc forward movement shifts the gearplt) into mesh with the gear behind gear 12 for reverse.

It will be noted that each flounder lever is provided with lateral projections formed by pins 29 and 30 arranged on opposite sides of the pivot point 31, and rocking movement is imparted to each flounder lever through the medium of these pins in the following manner p I provide a selective device or bar indicated as a whole by the reference letter 1) and comprising two selective actuating devices or members (Z and d dovetailed together at their inner ends as indicated at inFig. T sovthat they may slide relative to each other in a horizontal plane. The member (Z is provided with two slots 33 and 34 in its edge toward the pins 29 and 30, and similarly the member cl is provided with slots 35 and 36. In the neutral position shown in Fig. 3 none of these slots or recesses come opposite or register with any of the pins 29 and 30 of the two flounder levers.

The members (l and (Z are mounted to slide crosswise or transversely of the shift bars 18 and 18 in lateral guideways in the plates 37 and 38 respectively, and the plates 37 and 38 are slid-ably housed in the housing C for longitudinal movement therein in a direction parallel the longitudinal axis of the shift bars. .The guide plates 37 and 38 are moved or shifted through the medium of the bar 40. one end of which projects through the housing C and the other end of which is adapted to bear on a floating lever 4.1, the ends of which loosely engage with the respective plates 37 and 38, as will be clear from inspection of Figs. 3, 8 and 9. An exan'iination of them figures will show that the plates 3? and 38 have extensions ii-1 and lugs 4a, the ends of the floating lever ll being supported on the extension in between the lugs a l and the shoulders if). .lt will be seen that when the bar -l0 is shifted to the rear it will carry along with it the heating lever ell, which in turn will shift the plates 37 and 38, as will be further pointed out, from the normal position in which such parts are held by the springs 4L6, as shown in Fig. 3.

The selective bar I) is shifted back and forth to the desired positions by means of the link l7, the pivoted lever 18, the crank arm t9, the shaft .30 and the hand lever 5L, .1

as indicated in Fig. 1. The members cl, al' move in unison, by virtue of their interlock ing connection at 32. As will be seen on inspection of this figure, the crank arm ill) is made in two pieces so as to afford adjustment of the apparatus to different cars and for such differences as there may be in cars of the same make.

The bar ll) is operated from the clutch pedal 23 by means of the lever 52 and the chain 53.

Assuming that the parts are in the neutral position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and that the car is standing, the operation is as follows: The driver shifts the hand lever 51 to the first speed notch on the quadrant 51 and thereby shifts the selective bar 1) to the right, to the position indicated in Fi 1-, i. e., to such a position as will bring the slot or aperture 36 opposite to the pin 29 of the lever 28. In this position no apertures will come opposite or register with the remaining three pins on the lovers 2? and ES. The driver, when ready, pushes the clutch lever 21. down, releasing the clutch, and (when the lost motion of the chain 55:, is taken up) rocking the lever 52 and shoving the bar 410 to the rear. Through the medium of the floating lever 1 :1, such bar 4.;0 carries the plates 37 and 38, and with them the selective bar D, to the rear. The plates 3? and 38 move in uni on until such time as the bar (Z comes into engagement with the non-registering pins 29 and 30 of the lever 27, as indicated in Fig. 4-, at which time movement of the plate 37 is arrested. Further n'iovcn'ient of the plate 38 is permitted, because of the fact that the pin 2.) of the lever 28 is oppo site or in register with the slot 36, and the bar (Z is free to act on the non-regi tering pin 30 of the lever 28, rocking such lever to the rear and thereby shifting the shift bar 18 to the rear and causing gear ill to mesh with gear 11 for first speed. The floating lever 41, it will. be seen, 'Eulcrums on the plate 37 associated with the unselected lever 27 and the corre ponding bar (Z, and thus efl'ective to produce this relatively greater independent movement of the plate 38, while the dovetail connection between (E and (1' lllll Ina llf

permits the latter to shift with respect to the former. The driver now lets the clutch in, i. e.., permits the clutch pedal 23 to move rearwardly and the car moves off in first speed.

While the car is in first speed, with the gears in mesh, the driver may set the hand lever 51 for second speed (or for high speed if the conditions are such as will permit him shifting from low into high, or for reverse or for neutral) and the next time the operator tramps on the clutch pedal 23 and releases the clutch, the parts will be shifted so as to make the desired gear shift. Thus, for example, for second speed the slot 34. will come opposite the pin of the lever 27, the remaining pins being engaged by the edge of the members (Z and d; for high slot 33 will come opposite pin 29 of lever 27; and for reverse slot 35 will come opposite pin 30 of lever 28. Through the varying cooperation of the selective means 29, 3 0 and 33, 3d, 35, 36, according to the setting of the mechanism, therefore, the gears can be shi 'ed and connected at pleasure as an incioent of the operation of the clutch.

l fhen a desired shift has been made in the manner above pointed out and the clutch lever 23 is allowed to swing back and let in the clutch, the springs 46 will carry the plates 3. ant. 38, the selective bar D, the floating lever ll and the bar l0 back to the norn ,l position indicated in Fig. 3. During this retrograde movement, the pins on the l d-il will enter one of the notches 61, 62 ed in the levers 27 and 28. Thus in shiftm to first gear, as above described, when lie parts return, the pin 60 on the plate 38 will. enter the notch 61 in the lever 28 holdsuch lever in the position to which it beenshifted. The other pin 60 will enter b lever in neutral position. By this ennt of the pins 60 with the levers 27 am 8 in the position of the parts normally 'ned by the springs 46, therefore, the .vers are normally locked, and accidental hitting of the gear-sis prevented.

n order to prevent accidental and uninl d shifting of the gears during that in... in the operation of the parts when both pins 60 may be out of locking engage ment with the respective levers 27 and 28, I pro ide a locking lever the ends of which are adapted to enga e with the notch 71 in the respective flounder lever. On movement of one lever, the locking lever is kicked into .ient with the notch 71 of the other r lever, thus locking it and holding it l l hile lever-actuating movement of slate; 3?, 88 releases the levers 2?, 28, .c ted lever is securely locked as i selected one is actuated to carry beyoiu neutral position either way, and

notch 62 of the lever-27, thus holding corresponding gear conbe applied to a variety of standard gearboxes or installed as original equipment 011 new cars. The parts may be readily stamped, since they are practicallyall in the form of plates. This and the fact that the operating movements of theparts are substantially in the plane of the casing or housing 0 allows the mechanism and the whole device B to be made of minimum thickness. The superposed parts slide freely and easily over one another, and all the movements are simple, positive, and under perfect control. These features and the fewness and simplicity of the parts minimize friction, wear, breakage, and chances of disarrangement, and also make the manufacture and repair of the device easy and inexpensive.

iihat I claim is:

1. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle comprising alaterally open gear case, with transmission gearing and shift members for said gearing mounted in said case adjacent itsopening; in combination with a. thin, flat casing detachably mounted on said gear case over said opening and means therein for selectively operat ing said shift members including levers movable subetantially in the plane of said casing to actuate the sh ft members, a selective device for determining which lever shall be actuated and means in direct association with the levers operable when one lever is operated to lock the other.

, 2. In a mechanical gear shift for shifting the gears of a change speed device for autonn "ive vehicles, a pivoted lever, a selector member therefor, and an operating plate for operating the lever through the medi-, um of the selector member, the pivoted lever, the selector member, and the operating plate ly ng in planes approximating a common plane.

Changespeed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears, comprising lever plates for shifting certain of said and slidable actuating plates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperative selective means for determining the gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one way for selection and another way to execute the selected lever shift; and means in direct association with said lever plates operable when one flat operating mechanism in a casing on one side of said gear case, including members n'iovable in a common plane approximating that of said casing to actuate said shift bars, and selective actuating means for said bars having members movable in a like common plane, in unison to make selection but independently to actuate the selected memher.

5. A change speed device for automotive vehicles having transmission gears and shift bars, including a lever for actuating each shift bar, a selective device for determining which lever shall be actuated, and an operating means, together With means controlled by said operating means for locking the selected lever in the position to which it is moved.

6. A change speed device for automoive vehicles having transmission gears and shift bars, including a lever for actuating each shift bar, a selective device for determining which lever shall be actuated, and an operating means, together with means controlled by said operating means for looking the selected lever in the position to which it is moved and means for preventing movementof the lever not operated on.

I. A change speed device for automotive vehicles having transmission gears and shift bars, including a lever for actuating each shift bar, a selective device for deter n'lining which lever shall be actuated, and an operating means, together with means for engaging and preventing movement of the lever not operated actuated on movement of the other lever.

8. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift bars therefor, comprising members for actuating said shift bars movable in a common plane; and selective operating means; for said members comprising an actuating device for each movable in a plane approximating that aforesaid, crosswise of the shift bars to determine the member to be actuated, and lengthwise thereof to ac tuatc the selected member.

9. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising levers for actuating said shift members movable in a common plane and actuating plates for said levers, said levers and actuating plates having cooperating selective means for determining which lever shall be actuacted and which way rocked; and means for moving said actuating plates in a plane approximating that aforesaid for the purpose of selection, and for imparting to them a different movement in such plane to actuate the lever selected.

10. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members and actuating plates slideable on sai d lever pl ates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperating selective means for determining the gear shift to be made; and means for shifting said actuating plates one Way over said lever plates for selection and another way to execute the selected lever actuation.

11. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members and actuating plates slideablc on said lever plates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperating seiective means for determining the gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one way over said lever plates for selection and another way to execute the selected lever actuation; and means for normally locking said lever plates released by lever-actuating movements of said actuating plates.

12. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members and actuating plates slideable on said lever plates, said lever and actuating plates having co operating selective means for determining the'gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one way over said lever plates for selection and another way to execute the selected lever actuation; and means for locking the unselected lever upon gear connecting actuation of the selected one.

13. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, eomprisinglever plates for actuatii'ig said shift members and actuating plates slideable on said lever plates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperating selective means for dctern'iining the gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one "Way over said lever plates for selection and another Way to execute the selected love" actuation; means for normally locking said lever plates released by lever-actuating movement of said actuating plates; and means for locking the unselected lever upon gear-connccting actuation of the selected one.

14. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members and actuating plates slideablc on said lever plates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperating selective means for determining the gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one way over said lever plates for selection and another vvay to execute the selected lever actuation; plates with lateral guideua vs for said actuating plates slideable with them over said lever ill] ill

said it er and ed lever actuation; plates aways for said actuating 1 them over said lever actnatothe latter; means for shiftin said actna plates in the guidewavs for purposes selection; and means for ctuating movement to said lev 1 pl: cs including a floating lever to fulcrum on the one of them associated with the unselected lever plate.

16. Usage speed mechanisu'i for an auton'iotive vehicle having transmission gears hi'i r. comprising lever pl s for actua said shift members and actnat'i plates sliaeahle on said lever plates, said lev id actuating plates having co operatin etive means for determining' the gear lift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates one way over said lever plates for selection and another way to execute the selected lever actuation; plates with la e al guidcways for said actuating plates slsdeable with them over said lever plates to actuate the latter, and having means for normally engaging and locking said lever plates; means for normally main taming said guideway plates in lever-locking position; and means for shifting said actuating slates in the guideways for purposes of selection.

17. Change speed mechanism for an auton'iotive vehicle having transmission. gears and sliift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members and actuating plates slideable on said lever plates, said lever and actuating plates having cooperating selective means for determining the gear shift to be made; means for shifting said actuating plates. one way over said lever plates for selection and another way to execute the selected lever actuation; plates with lateral guidewavs for ating plates slideable with them over said lever plates to actuate the latter, and havmeans for normally engaging and locle ing said lever plates: means for normally maintaining said glllflEWaY plates in leverloclring position; n'ieans for locking the unselected lever upon gear-connecting actuation of the selected one; and means for shifting said actuating plates in the guideways for purposes of selection.

I 18. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising levers for actuating d shift members movable in a common plane and having lateral projections at either side of their fulcra; selective actuating plates beside said levers vith recesses in their edges toward said projections; means for shifting said plates to bring their recesses into register with different projections; and means for moving the plate with registering recess edgewise against the other projection of the correspondinglever to actuate it.

19. Change speed mechanism for an auto motive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members movble in a common plane and having lateral projections at either side of their fulcra; selective actuating plates movable over said lever plates and having recesses in their edges toward said projections; plates with lateral guideways for said actuating plates movable to shift them edgewise toward said projections; means for moving said actuating plates to bring their recesses into register with different projections; and means for in dependently moving said guideway plates as aforesaid including a floating lever adapted to fulcrum on whichever has no recess in register with a lever plate projection.

20. Change speed mechanism for an automotive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members movable in a common plane and having lateral projections at either side of their fulcra; selective actuating plates movable over said lever plates and having recesses in their edges toward said projections; plates with lateral guideways for said actuating plates movable to shift them edgewise toward said projections, and having means for normally engaging and locking said levers; means for moving said actuating plates to bring-their recesses into register with different projections; means for normally maintaining the guideway plates in lever-loclring position; and means for moving the guide plate Whose actuating plate has its recess in register with a lever projection out of locking engagement With the lever, and against the other projection of said lever.

21. Change speed mechanism for an auto motive vehicle having transmission gears and shift members therefor, comprising lever plates for actuating said shift members movable in a common plane and having lateral edges toward said projections; plates with lateral guideways for said actuating plates movable to shift them edgewlse toward said projections, and having means for normally engaging and locking said levers; means for moving said actuating plates to bring their recesses into register with clifierent projections; means for normally maintaining the guideway plates in lever-locking position; means for moving the guide plates out 01' locking engagement with the levers and forcing the actuating plate whose recess is in register With a lever projection against 10 the other projection of the lever to actuate it; and means for holding the other lever fast while thus unlocked.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

RAYMOND A. BARTHOLOMEW. 

